6 Paid Search Marketing Trends to Watch

Paid Search marketing is constantly evolving. As search engines get smarter, advertisers have more ways to connect with their audiences than ever before.

The rise of mobile, video and other strategies have given way for ads that are able to engage like never before. Then there is Google Shopping, with an abundance of Local Inventory Ads (LIA), expanded text ads (ETAs) and many other trends also worth mentioning.

With that in mind, not every trend is worth watching. The ideal way to succeed with search marketing is to focus on a well-rounded strategy that incorporates newer trends along with tried and tested best practices and strategies that are based on solid metrics.

Search Marketing Trends – What to Look Out for and What to Avoid

Which search marketing trends should you be looking out for this year? And, which SEM strategies are best to avoid? Let’s take a look…

Voice search. Voice is continuing its growth. For advertisers, this brings a chance to use voice and text search to create campaigns harness the power of voice detection.

Native search. Native ads also continue their rise to the top. These go hand in hand with solid content and well-chosen keywords.

Mobile focused. Google’s mobile first moves have made it clear where to focus your budget. With this increased focus on mobile comes tactics such as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) that ensure faster loading landing pages.

Video content. Video ads have been shown to have a high level of results compared to text ads, so these are also worth considering. The secret to succeeding in the often competitive video ad space is to create high quality video content that is shareable and engaging.

SEM trends to avoid include tablet bids. Since Google enabled advertisers to bid separately on phones and tablets, tablets have seen a steady decline. Merkle’s Q1 2017 report shows that tablet CPCs were 25% lower than desktop CPCs in Q1, which is a definite downfall compared to last year when these devices were combined. In line with Google’s mobile first strategy, it is better to put your budget on devices with a high rate of success.

ETAs are another trend that you may want to avoid… at least for now. According to industry leader Merckle, “After accounting for device, keyword type, and ad location, there is still no clear evidence that Expanded Text Ads are producing consistently higher click-through rates than the legacy Google text ad format.”

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